Concert Review: The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs may be known as Jack White’s other band, but it’s clear they are anything but just a side project. Rounding out a sold out three-night residency at New York’s Terminal 5 Sunday, the band showered the audience with its staying power, all the while battling one of the city’s worst concert venues. By worst concert venue I mean giant blank black canvases for walls and a corny shiny disco ball hanging above the main floor as it’s only decoration. The acoustics? Disgraceful. The crowd? Frequently oversold, leaving latecomers to stand in the lobby. Finding a spot to see properly? Try getting there hours before showtime. The Raconteurs however, may be one of the few band of musicians that could turn this mediocre warehouse into a bearable place to be.

Opening the show were the Black Lips, who took the stage to a more than half-to-capacity crowd that surprisingly allowed the psychedelic rockers proper attention. Admist jogging between the main ground floor and the venue’s two-tiered balconies, the Lips commanded the attention of the usual handful of random people at every concert who are just as excited for the openers as the main act. This raucous Atlanta-based band did their fair share of attempting to hype up the impatient crowd, finishing off their set to decent cheers.

The surprisingly subdued audience let out a swelling belch when the lights dimmed and White, Brendan Benson, drummer Patrick Keeler and bassist Jack Lawrence hopped on stage. With Benson breaking out the first verse of “Consolers of the Lonley,” it was White who bellowed the second verse, bigger and better, garnering the nights loudest cheer to this point. Despite having just two albums out, The Raconteurs successfully extended certain tunes like “Rich Kid Blues,” which included Benson mouthing Jim Morrison’s famous “This is the End” lyrics midway.

Clearly men more into the music rather than providing any visual performance, the band launched into song after song, taking almost no breaks to showcase tunes from their latest effort Consolers of the Lonely including “Top Youself,” “Hold Up” and “Switch & Spur.” It was, however “Level” and “Blue Vein” from 2006’s Broken Boy Soliders that would be the evening’s highlights as well as another extended effort for “Steady As She Goes.”

White gave the crowd little face time, and even less introduction time, focusing instead on rocking out with himself, mostly facing Keeler’s drums behind him or tag teaming on vocals and guitar with Benson to his right. It’s clearly White who gets the most attention for the band and clearly White’s performance that is the main focus at shows. However, give credit where credit is due. The remaining members might not upstage The White Stripes leader, but they have no problem holding their own beside him.


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